Apparatus for inflating life-preserving belts.



W; BROKAW,

APPARATUS FOR INFLATING LIFE PRESERVING BELTS.

' APPLICATION FILED APR. 21. 1911.

mmsaa. Patented June 26, 191?.

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UNITED sTATEs PATENT onnrcn.

WILLIAM GOULD IBRQKAW, OF'PARIS, FRANCE.

7 APPARATUS FOR INFLATIN'G LIFE-PRESERVING BELTS;

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J 11119, 26, 191 '7,

Application filed April 27, 1917. Serial No. 164,897.

To all whom z'tmay concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM GOULD BROKAW, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Paris, France, have invented Improvements in Apparatus for Infiating Life-Preserving Belts, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus for inflating life-preserving belts described in the specification of my British application for Letters Patent No. 1037 90 dated Septhrust than is the case with the apparatus described in the specification of my said former application thereby rendering the opening of the valve more certain and insuring the release of the gas and consequent inflation of the belt when the operating lever is moved in the manner necessary to produce this effect.

For this purpose, according to the invention the gas cartridge valve is operated by pressure on a plate arranged at the outer side of the diaphragm located between the valve and the operating member, the said plate bearing against a fixed pin or the like that constitutes a fulcrum about which the plate turns when pressed inwardly to open the cartridge valve.

In the accompanying illustrative drawings Figure 1 is a front elevation of valve operating mechanism embodying the invention.

and Z2 is the cartridge screwed. into a connectorv 0 which is in turn screwed into the hub of the dished disk (Z between which and an outer shell 6 the diaphragm f is clamped. g is a tighteningring fitted inside the belt a and from which project studs h whereby the several parts are secured together and to the belt as describedin my said British specification.

Fixed to the inner side of the diaphragm f is a valve operating pin and at the outer side of the diaphragm is a pressure plate m adapted to bear as shown against a fulcrum pin a fixed to the shell e.' Mounted to turn on a 'pin 0 carried by the shell 6 is an operating lever one arm 10 of which is located within the shell and .adapted to bear on the plate m to open the valve, and the other arm 1' of which extends through a slot formed in the shell and terminates in a finger piece,

- Assuming .the apparatus with loaded cartridge .7) applied to a belt worn on the person, upon turning the lever 70, 1' about its its pivot 0 the arm ;0 thereof will bear on the plate m and cause such plate to move inwardly about the fixed fulcrum pin n thereby through the pin is, operate the valve located within the hub of the disk d in such way as to release the gas from the cartridge 6 and cause the inflation of the belt. As will be seen the construction .is such that the pressure on the valve to open it is a direct thrust in the line of the valve axis and consequently the valve is opened with certainty at each operation.

What I claim is 1. In apparatus for inflating life-preserving belts, a gas cartridge, a holder for said cartridge secured to the wall of an inflatable life belt, a gas release valve carried by said holder, a diaphragm fixed to said holder, a pin on the inner side of said diaphragm adapted to actuate said valve, a plate at the outer side of said diaphragm, a fulcrum for said plate fixed to said holder, an operating lever mounted in said holder adapted to turn said plate about said fulcrum in a direction to move said diaphragm inwardly and operate said valve.

2. In apparatus for inflating life-preserving belts, a dished disk secured to the wall of an inflatable belt, a gas cartridge located within the belt and carried by said disk, a valve mounted in said disk and adapted to control the escape of gas from said cartridge, an outer cover fixed to said disk, a diaphragm the margin of which is clamped between said disk and said cover,

a pin on the inner side of said diaphragm serving belts, a dished disk secured to the wall of an inflatable belt, a gas cartridge located within the belt and carried by said disk, a valve mounted in said disk and adapted to control the escape of gas from said cartridge, a slotted cover fixed to said disk, a diaphragm the margin of which is clamped between said disk and said cover, a pin on the inner side of said diaphragm adapted to actuate vsaid valve, a plate on theouter side ofsaid diaphragm, a fulcrum on said cover against which said plate can bear, and a lever pivoted to said cover and extending through the slot thereof, the inner end of said lever being adapted to bear on said :plate and turn it about said fulcrum to move said diaphragm with said pin inward-1y to actuate said valve.

4:. In apparatus for inflating life-preserving belts, a ring secured to the inner side of the Wall of an inflatable belt, a dished disk secured to the outer side of the Wall of an inflatable belt, means for securing said disk to said ring to clamp the adjacent portion of the belt Wall between them, a gas cartridge located within the belt and carried by said disk, a valve mounted side of said diaphragm adapted to actuate '1 said valve, a plate on :the outer side ofsaid diaphragm, a fulcrum'on said cover against which said plate can bear and a lever pivoted to said cover and extending through the slot thereof, the inner end of said lever i being adapted to bear on said. plate and turn it about said fulcrum to move said diaphragm with said pin inwardly to actuate said valve.

Signed at American consulate at:-Nice I France this 29th day of March 1917.

WILLIAM GOULD BR O KAl/V.

Witnesses:

ROBERTSON RlLEY, S. HENDERSON.

(Copies ,0! this patent may be obtained for five tcents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. i 

